


Magnus´effect

by Aneete



Category: The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Adults Make Mistakes, Cowboy AU, Lot of wine, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Malec AU, big secret, they are adults
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-01-23 04:11:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21313978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aneete/pseuds/Aneete
Summary: Sometimes, running away from everything you know is the best thing you can do.  Sometimes... It is not."I don´t understand why you are so upset! You weren´t here, and I was tired of waiting. So, I made myself comfortable." Camille and her damn innocuous smile. She was completely naked in his bed with another two men Magnus had never seen before and looked as innocent as she could manage. Magnus was pretty sure that she honestly believed that there was nothing wrong with her behavior.Malec cowboy/horseman AU nobody asked for, but I desperately wanted to write.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 8
Kudos: 43





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> EDITED
> 
> My characters are adults. They behave like adults. They are making stupid decisions and then learn how to live with them. They are having sex, they are getting drunk and they speak dirty. 
> 
> I write because I miss Malec with my heart and soul and writing about them is a better decision than drink and try to drown my sorrow in wine. 
> 
> This is meant to be a long AU fic with big surprises and twists, but who knows, how it turns out. I have already more than 17k words written and will post regularly.
> 
> English is not my first language (honestly, it is neither second), so I write like 11 old kid (as Grammarly told me) and I don´t really care. 
> 
> Enjoy
> 
> Song for this chapter is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFVKu3cJODE

Magnus took a deep breath and smiled, overwhelmed with sensations. He was standing on a small wooden balcony, surrounded by pure natural colors, feeling the fresh air, with the sound of wind and birds, and he felt free like he hadn´t felt in ages. OK, maybe not truly free, but at least, he was able to breathe freely and walk without the phantom of fear following him at every step, he felt like he could dance, perhaps like he was walking on the clouds. Magnus looked around for the last time with another big grin before returning inside the cottage.

"So, everything is OK?" Marta asked eventually.  
"Yes, thank you. It's perfect." Magnus reassured her while escorted his real estate agent back down to the entrance hall, then opened large wooden main doors for her.

"I´m glad that you are happy. If you need anything else, just let me know." She stepped outside, looking like she wanted to add something more, but wasn´t exactly sure if she should. Finally, she reached into a pocket of her elegant suit and took a little notebook out of it.

"This is just..." She started. "I thought that perhaps, you know, you are new here and don´t really know it around, so I´ve put together some basic information for you about the town and this community… Mostly just some phone numbers and working hours, but there is a map inside too. And right there, it is Jonny and Luisa." She pointed at the first numbers. "Jonny used to work as a caretaker here, and he knows this place better than anybody. And Luisa, I just thought that maybe if you´ll need a housekeeper, that she would be a good choice for you."

Magnus gently took the diary and grinned again 'oh, how wonderful feeling it is to smile' amazed by her kind gesture. That small notepad was more than anybody had done for him for at last. Well, he wasn´t even able to remember the last time that anybody did ANYTHING for him, while not expecting something in return. He held it like a treasure in his hand and felt his heart skip with joy.

"You are so kind, thank you. I can´t tell you how much I appreciate your help - with everything. And don´t worry, I´ll be fine. I have everything I need here." He looked around. "Actually, there is much more than I could ever need."

Marta nodded and slowly left the cottage. She got into her tiny car and checked the calendar for her next appointment, her thoughts remaining with the man she just left at a deserted ranch.

´What a strange man was this Magnus Bane. With his eccentric look, wild style, colored clothes, and expensive shoes, he looked like he had come from another world. But what about his wide smile but sad, so sad eyes. What was he looking for in a place like this? Why is he even here? Marta knew that this ossified town would hardly accept a stranger like him. At least not easily. And Magnus seems like he doesn´t have the power to fight for his place in the town. He seemed to have power maybe to fight with ants in his kitchen but nothing more. He needed somebody to take care of him. This man is broken and looking for a cure.' But Marta wasn´t sure that it is what he can find here. But maybe she could've been wrong. She hoped that she was wrong.

…

Magus watched Marta´s car leaving his ranch along a dirt road until he lost sight of her. Then, he stepped back, slowly closing the heavy wooden door of the cottage behind himself. His new home was quite a big wooden cabin. A large terrace where he just said goodbye to Martha led directly to an ample living room with a big fireplace situated in the middle of the whole space, surrounded by a few comfortable chairs and a huge sofa, covered by white sheets protected them from the dust. Each wall of the room was covered mostly by empty wooden bookshelves. Empty but for a few relics of a farmer´s life - probably mementos of former residents. Some faded photographs in handmade frames showed a large family in front of the terrace, moments from a rodeo, a bull that won some price on a fair, and two boys riding horses. On another shelf, there was a rusty horseshoe and some strange tools Magnus had no idea what their purpose was. Next to the living room, there was a kitchen, which looked surprisingly modern compared to the rest of the house. 

Magnus carefully placed down the notebook Marta had given to him on the shelf, next to a few books that someone had left there, and went back to the terrace to look for the rest of his belongings. All he had brought were two suitcases filled with quite random pieces from his wardrobe and some shoes, that definitely wouldn´t be suited for these grounds, a few books, and his laptop and two small brown bags with groceries Magnus had bought before he left. Obtaining some food before leaving the town had been his last moment idea that came to Magnus like a bolt from the blue of last remainings of clear sense. Now, when the reality of being alone in the middle of the country hit him, he was quite happy that it came to his mind because, at least, he would not die of starvation.

Finding a place for all of his things didn´t take much time. After everything was done, Magnus poured himself a glass of wine and went out to the balcony of the biggest bedroom on the second floor. Altogether, there were 3 bedrooms in the house, but when he saw this one for the first time, he immediately knew that this would be HIS place to sleep. The room was peaceful and cozy. On one side, there was a large french window that led to the balcony, covered behind heavy brown curtains. There was a door to the bathroom and a walk-in closet on the opposite side. A comfortable chair was situated between doors. And THE bed... The big wooden four-poster bed looked like heaven. There were no sheets on it, but Magnus was able to find some in the closet room. The beddings were of plain linen fabric without a pattern, all in natural color. They were so different from the silk ones he was used to sleeping in, but Magnus thought, that maybe it could help him to dream better without those, which were covered by too many bad memories. 

Soon he had finished his glass of wine and went straight for another one. The furniture on the balcony was simple, just a wooden chair, and a small table by which he could sit and enjoy a beautiful view of the countryside. It was one of those views that a man can enjoy every day and never get tired of. It reminded him of another place like this, hundreds of miles away, where he had been, not so long ago, sitting just like now - with a drink in his hands, gazing into the distance. New York... his apartment... and she.

…

_"I don´t understand why you are so upset! You weren´t here, and I was tired of waiting. So, I made myself comfortable." Camille and her damn innocuous smile. She was completely naked in his bed with another two men Magnus had never seen before and looked as innocent as she could manage. Magnus was pretty sure that she honestly believed that there was nothing wrong with her behavior. _  
  
_"And of course now, that you are finally here, you are welcome to join us!" Camille pointed to the long-haired man with the body of the Greek God. "We can make a pretty hot foursome, come on Magnus, quickly!" She ordered and instantly lost interest in the man standing at the door. She was so sure that he would follow her orders, as he always did, and she didn´t want to bother herself with giving him more attention than was necessary._

_Magnus shook his head and left the bedroom, closing the doors behind himself. He felt something breaking inside his chest. This hadn´t been for the first time Camille had done something like this. He was quite used to find her sleeping with somebody else. But this time it was different._

_Maybe it was because it was happening in his bed. That now, for the very first time, found nerves to dishonor his own home. Perhaps, it was for the reason he was planning something special for this night, something vastly different. Or, it was because of her confidence in not being doing anything wrong. That she just didn´t care about his feelings, even when she knew that Magnus hated it when she cheated on him._  
  
_And maybe, it was just that imaginary last straw. At that very moment, he realized that he needed to do something about it. He needed to cut this, and he needed to do it immediately because if he just let it be as he usually did, his screwed life would continue on, and it would probably lead into hell. A hell with Camille._

_Although Magnus couldn´t just stop loving her, he knew that if he wanted to do something, he needed to make the most of that exact moment. Without much of the thinking, he brought his suitcases out and put inside some random pieces of his clothes and shoes, some books, that he was currently reading and some other, he wanted to read later. He thought for a moment and added his laptop into one suitcase and found all the cash he had in his loft. It was quite a lot of money, so Magnus placed it inside a linen bag and covered it with other belongings._

_Then, he went to the bathroom and picked some basic eyeliner, hair wax, toothbrush, and a bottle of shampoo. After that, he said, "Naah, I´m on vacation." and brought the rest of his most used make-up stuff. He was calm, quiet. Magnus worked effectively with a simple purpose – be ready when Camille left his bedroom, knowing very well that after she would be done with those two guys, she would kick them out and would look for more fun._  
  
_He was just done with packing when a still completely naked Camille opened the bedroom door and ordered her two boy-toys to get out. They looked confused, but quickly put their clothes on and promptly followed Camille´s orders. Magnus could see bloody marks on their necks and arms and looked away. Now he felt reassured that his decision was right. All he had to do was to kick Camille out. Before dawn, before she would be stuck tucked in his bed and able to weaken his mind with sweet words and some probably mind-blowing sex. She knew Magnus´s weak spots too well - that was the reason why this relationship had lasted so long, so if Magnus wanted to do something, he needed to do it now. _  
  
_ "You get out as well, Camille," Magnus told her, as hard as he could. "I don´t want you to stay here."_  
  
_"Oh, come on, Magnus." Camille whimpered with THAT voice and made a few steps in her lover´s direction while rocking her hips while giving him a perfect sight of her gorgeous body. Magnus started to feel weak in his knees. "Those two, they didn´t mean anything to me. They were just a tiny little warming up before the big performance with you, my dear." _  
_Camille caressed Magnus´s cheek and pressed lips against his own. He almost gave up. Almost forgave her again. Almost. But he didn´t return the kiss and quickly turned around while pointing towards the door._  
  
_ "I told you to get out!" Magnus growled between teeth and furiously looked directly into Camille´s eyes._  
_She sighed, looked at him with pouting lips, playing with her long black hair while considered her chances and then, without a word, went back into the bedroom to collect her clothes._  
_"Call me when you calm down and will be back in your mind, Magnus." She angrily yelled at him while finishing her make-up and applying the last touches of lipstick. "You know that we belong to each other no matter what. These irrelevant scenes are nonsense. We are having fun, we are meant to enjoy our lives in every possible way, but you just still don´t get it." And with those last words, after she sent Magnus an air kiss and angrily threw the rest of her possessions into her scandalously overpriced handbag, she finally slammed the door shut and was gone._  
  
_Magnus went back to the balcony, where he had secured his luggage before. He made some calls - directed somebody to change the locks of his loft and to sent new keys to his best friend, Catarina. After a short hesitation, he wrote a note for her and put it on a coffee table. Then after turning his phone off, Magnus left his loft with just the two suitcases in his hands and a heavy heart in his chest. _

_That had happened three days ago..._

_He ended up in a motel, in the middle of nowhere, with three bottles of cheap whiskey, trying to turn the blood in his veins into alcohol, and crying his eyes out into the uncomfortable pillow. The next morning, while wandering in the city, he accidentally saw an advertisement offering a beautiful and surprisingly cheap ranch for sale. After a short chat with a real estate broker, and not as quick paperwork, as he wished for, he was there._  
  
_..._  
  
Magnus finished the bottle of wine and considered for a moment opening a second one. Instead, he picked up his most comfortable shoes and decided to go to a walk around. He didn´t see the whole ranch yet, only in a few images Marta showed him, and those didn´t give justice to his new property.  
  
The ranch wasn´t big at all. Main Cottage was situated on a small hill, and the rest of the farm was in the valley right behind. In the big barn, Magnus found just old hay and pieces of tractors. On the other hand, the small barn was pretty well equipped. One part was made as a stable, with four separate standings for horses, and the second part was a garage with an old Jeep inside. To his surprise, there were keys inside the car, the vehicle seemed old, but in quite a good condition. Magnus tried to turn the ignition key, and to his even bigger surprise after a few cranks, the engines started. In the garage were also some farm tools, and two saddles with horse bridle under a grey blanket. It was like a treasure hunt! So many surprises covered under sheets and layers of dust. Magnus thought, not for the first time, about people who lived here before and why they abandoned this place with so many things left behind. He carefully covered the harnesses again and continued with his inspection outside. There were just two more outbuildings without walls and fences. The whole farm was surrounded by trees, and on the edge of his land was a small pond. That was it. That was his new home.   
  
It was almost sunset when Magnus went back to the cottage. He made himself a cup of coffee and decided to sit on the big terrace in front of the building and enjoyed a beautiful view of sunset and landscape. He watched a herd of cows in the distance and listened to their ringing bells. The monotonous sound, together with the fresh air, was slowly cradling him into sleep, suddenly Magnus saw a movement. He had to blink a few times to ensure that he is not dreaming, because not so far from him, a cowboy was riding a huge black horse. The man was big - so big that his horse seemed like a pony compared to his rider. He had black hair, coated by a black hat with silver buckles, matching his long black leather coat and black boots with silver spurs. The stranger was riding with the confidence of an experienced rider, holding the reins loosely in one hand, leaning against the pear of his saddle.  
They were sharing a stare for a few moments before the cowboy sent him a last wild look and urged his horse into a gallop and run away.   
  
"It seems like I have a neighbor," Magnus muttered to himself. "I was almost feeling like the last man on the Earth." He was about to get up from the chair when he saw another movement. This time on the edge of the terrace. A small black and white kitty was hiding behind the column. "Oh, here kitty-kitty, you don´t have to be afraid," Magnus whispered to the cat. "what are you doing here so alone? Would you like to come in and have some dinner with me?" The kitten didn´t move, so Magnus slowly got up and carefully opened the door. He entered the kitchen and found a small bowl. He put some canned meat and ham into it and went back to the terrace. When Magnus came back, kitty was still huddled behind the column.   
"Tsk-tsk, come on kitty-kitty. I won´t hurt you, I promise," Magnus whispered and slowly laid the bowl into the middle of the doorway. Kitty was watching him with wide hungry eyes, but it was still too afraid to make any move. Magnus went back to the building, giving some space to that small bag of fur, and observed it from a distance. Kitty was slowly approaching, but at the moment it reached the bowl, hungrily ate all content and watched Magnus with a bit more trust. Magnus smiled at Kitty and went to grab something to eat for himself. When he came back, he found out that kitty was sleeping curled in a ball on the sofa. "Not just a neighbor! I also have a roommate," Magnus whispered with a soft smile and sat with his dinner to the farthest chair from his sleeping visitor. He finished his meal quietly, and after a while though he closed the main door and went to his room upstairs. He collapsed asleep at the moment he reached the pillow.  
  
When Magnus woke up the next morning, he was more relaxed than he was many years before. As soon as he opened his eyes, he realized that he was not alone in his bed. Next to him, on his pillow, lay a sleeping curled bag of fur. He reached out and rubbed the kitten under its throat. It didn´t wake up but started to purr. Magnus smiled and continued with rubbing until kitten opened eyes and yawned, then turned to the back and let Magnus rubbed its belly.   
  
"I can´t imagine better waking up, than with fluffy company in my bed," he whispered to the kitty and continued rubbing. "You were cold at night, hm? Or you just missed some company?" Kitty didn´t answer but licked Magnus´s hand. He slowly picked up Kitty and looked directly into its green eyes. "OK, I know that we know each other just a little, but can I please inspect you a bit? At least, since you moved in, I would like to know if you are a boy or a girl."  
Kitty didn´t seem to disagree, so Magnus put it into his lap and slowly browsed throw his fur. The kitty was young, around three, maybe four months old, with ascended ribs and some glued hair. It surely needed to take a bath and get rid of parasites, but otherwise, it looked very healthy.   
  
"So, you are a boy!" Magnus told kitty with a happy smile. "I will call you Chairman Meow. Is it OK? All my cats have always had this name." Chairman started to lick himself, following the path of Magnus´s hand as if he wanted to sleek his fur where Magnus has touched him. It didn´t seem that he took care of fact, that now, he was given a name.  
  
…  
  
Magnus was having breakfast with Chairman on his lamp when he heard a car on the driveway. He got up, with kitty still in arms, and opened the door to see who that might be. He wasn't expecting anyone and was quite surprised when he recognized Marta´s car.  
  
"It seems you found a friend!" Marta noticed kitty in his hand.  
"Yeah, this little one came and just announced that he'll be living here with me," Magnus happily nodded. "I must take him to the vet and buy some cat meal, but it was impossible to say ´no´ to these eyes."  
There was a flash of light in Magnus´s eyes, something that Marta hasn´t seen before.   
"Anyway. What do I owe for this unexpected visit?" Magnus asked joyfully.  
  
"Well. I wanted to check on you a little. And you have forgotten your phone in my office," Martha handled a small bag to Magnus. He frowned to the package and dropped it into his pocket.   
  
"Thank you. You are kind, but I don´t need my phone. The entire purpose of this was to hide." He pointed towards the ranch." And at the moment I switch this damn thing on, it all will be ruined."  
  
"I understand. But in a place like this, it is quite dangerous not having a functional phone with you all the time. What are you hiding from? Troubles with law, lately?" She asked Magnus, half in joke, half in real concern.

"Naaah, nothing like that." Magnus quickly replied, and after a short hesitation, he added. "Let's just say that there is a certain woman I very much need to avoid for as long as possible."  
  
Martha nodded seriously. "I understand. Trouble in paradise."

"More like trouble in hell, but yeah, something like that." Magnus wanted to end the conversation, but Marta seemed like she wanted to know more about it.  
  
"It has to be a big deal if it led you to buy a ranch in the middle of nowhere and move in just with two suitcases," She said.  
  
"It was." Magnus nodded and looked at her with sad eyes again. "Can we just change the subject and postpone this conversation to... never...?" he asked.   
  
Marta nodded. She was soo curious, but the change in Magnus´s expression when he started to talk about this issue compelled her to stop questioning about it.   
  
"What a bad host I am! Would you like to come in? I can offer you a good cup of coffee if you want. I was just about to make one for myself!" Magnus asked her and quickly rushed into the cottage, not waiting for the answer. Martha went early from her house because she wanted to bring Magnus his phone before her meetings, so she was quite happy about his offer and followed her client to his kitchen.  
  
It was a pleasant conversation. Magnus was an excellent storyteller, and Marta enjoyed spending time with him. He talked a lot, but for the whole time, he hasn´t mentioned any hint that could tell Marta more about this strange man. All she knew was that he has moved from New York because of some woman. But before NY, Magnus lived in various places all around the world. He was probably some kind of businessman or manager, but Magnus hasn´t mentioned anything about his past, and Marta didn´t dare ask. About an hour later, she had to leave, and it was finally time to say goodbye.  
  
"Would you like me to take you to the town? It is quite far from here to walk." She asked, hoping that maybe she could be able to spend more time with him.  
  
"You are kind, thank you. But I've found an old Jeep in the barn so I can handle this by myself." Magnus gently refused.  
  
"Oh, it had to sit there for quite some time! You should take it to the workshop when you're in the town." She recommended.  
  
"I will. I think I saw some info in the notebook you gave me." Magnus promised.  
  
"Yes, I think so. See you around Magnus. It was a pleasure to see you again." She told him and got into the car, leaving him alone. Again. But this time with a better feeling. 'Maybe he can handle this on his own.' She thought to herself while the reflection of this strange man was slowly disappearing from her rearview mirror.  
  
...  
  
Magnus was staring at his phone, and the phone was staring at Magnus. He was avoiding this moment for as long as possible. He cleaned the cottage, then went to the city to buy some cat meals (and more wine). Magnus went to the local vet with his kitty and also visited a workshop and asked the mechanic to check on his car – which was in surprisingly excellent condition. He went to the hairstylist to cut his hair because he wanted to fit better in this town (and it didn´t work). Magnus even bought some riding boots and working clothes. He did everything that he could do. But now, he was back home, and he couldn´t find any reason to postpone it any longer. With another glass of wine in hand and the kitty on his lap as moral support, Magnus took a deep breath and switched his phone on.  
  
The beeping started immediately. There were dozens of missed calls and even more messages. Magnus sighed, and without reading any of it, dialed the number of his best friend.  
  
"Magnus! Where the hell are you? We were worried, sick! You can´t just disappear from thin air!" Catarina answered on the first ring and instantly started yelling at him.   
  
"Cat, calm down. I´m OK. Seriously. I just.. I just really needed this." Magnus sighed.  
  
"Where are you?" Catarina asked simply.  
  
"As far from Camille as possible," Magnus answered.  
  
"You know, I can find your location, do you? The only reason I haven´t done it yet is that you were begging me not to, in the note you left me. And you assured me you´ll let me know that you are OK, as soon as possible." And with a much calmer voice, she added, "What exactly happened?"  
  
Magnus tried to explain to her the events of the last few days, as clearly and without emotion as he could - and without any hint that can reveal his current location. It seemed enough for Catarina. She was quiet, during his narration, just nodded sometimes and listened carefully.

"OK, Magnus. I trust you," she told him when he finally finished. "But please... Take care of yourself. I understand that running away was the best option at that moment, but you don't have to run away from everybody. Some people care about you, you know... And we miss you."  
  
"You know I will be careful. I just need to be alone. I need to make a distance from that all. And to build walls around my heart. Cat, I'll never, ever allow anybody to break it again. I just have to. But I can´t do it in NY, surrounded by memories, by past. I want to look forward, not back. I hope you´ll understand." He gently asked.  
  
Catarina has agreed. She knew him better than anyone, and even she didn´t agree with the way he did it, she known this is the best he can do. To forget, maybe to build a brand-new life... But he had to be far from that bitch. If he managed to endure and not come back to her again, she could pardon him almost everything.  
  
"I do. I love you, Magnus. Call me if you´ll need anything – or, you know what? Call me to say hi."

"Yeah, I will. Love you too." He hung up. The conversation went better than he could expect, but he was so emotionally exhausted that he barely made it into his bed. But thanks to the kitty on his pillow and thoughts about his new home, he fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	2. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No-no-no. It is not happening.” Magnus echoed, again and again, while pouring another glass of wine and nervously pacing around his living room. “I’m perfectly fine. I’m calm and cool, and I’m NOT digging into any kind of this mess again. Not now. Not. NEVER!”
> 
> Chairmen curiously observed him, comfortably sprawling on the backrest of one of the chairs, following his owner’s movements with his wide-opened eyes. 
> 
> “I’m a mess,” Magnus explained to the kitty and sat down next to him, rubbing him under his chin. “I’m not good at this. I never was, and I definitely don’t need any kind of... disturbance, right now.” He leaned his head back against the backrest next to the Chairman and closed his eyes.
> 
> “But how can he be soo handsome? And soo... perfect?” He started dreamily, “His deep brown eyes, his angelic smile, and his body... Oh my God, his ass and his... everything! He is a pure creation of an angel, and he pretty well knows about it. He is self-confident, soft, and bright. He has everything I’ve ever dreamed about...” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okey... I´m back. I wanted to write some introduction but after a few attempts of writing, re-writing and deleting, I just decided to go with... It is here. Enjoy :o)

“You GOT to be kidding!!” 

Alec was already in a terrible mood. Everything that day went wrong. He got up early because of the complicated delivery of one of his best mares. He spent half of the night and the whole morning in the barn with a vet, who provided him bill long as hell. Just as the vet left, one of his dayworkers found a hole in the fence, and they had to return one of their largest herds of cows with just a few weeks old calves immediately. They were hiding in the woods, so it was tough work to catch them all and bring them back. After they’ve repaired the fences and when he was finally back in his ranch, finally able to grab something to eat, his sister came up and told him, that there was some man who wants to buy a horse. Alec left his unfinished dinner and went to the barn, to find there the most mysterious stranger, he could possibly imagine stepping into his ranch. 

The stranger was tall. Not as tall as Alec, but still taller than most of the workers on his ranch. He had soft golden skin and bare, groomed black hair. He was wearing a black silk deep-cut shirt and an expensive red coat that did not entirely correspond with the brand new but ordinary riding boots and slim jeans. He was leaning on the fence and stroking his black stallion behind the ear.

“Hey, you!” Alec yelled at the man. “Get away from that horse! He can bite your arm in your shoulder!”

The stranger flinched with his hand and turned around with a confused look. “Oh, really?” he hesitated and looked back to the horse for a moment before turning back to Alec. “He didn’t seem dangerous - looks like a growling beast, but all he wants is just to cuddle.”

Alec froze. “You GOT to be kidding.” He muttered to himself. He was staring into the eyes of the most beautiful man he ever saw.

...

“No-no-no. It is not happening.” Magnus echoed, again and again, while pouring another glass of wine and nervously pacing around his living room. “I’m perfectly fine. I’m calm and cool, and I’m NOT digging into any kind of this mess again. Not now. Not. NEVER!”

Chairmen curiously observed him, comfortably sprawling on the backrest of one of the chairs, following his owner’s movements with his wide-opened eyes. 

“I’m a mess,” Magnus explained to the kitty and sat down next to him, rubbing him under his chin. “I’m not good at this. I never was, and I definitely don’t need any kind of... disturbance, right now.” He leaned his head back against the backrest next to the Chairman and closed his eyes.

“But how can he be soo handsome? And soo... perfect?” He started dreamily, “His deep eyes, his angelic smile, and his body... Oh my God, his ass and his... everything! He is a pure creation of an angel, and he pretty well knows about it. He is self-confident, soft, and bright. He has everything I’ve ever dreamed about...” 

Magnus opened his eyes and smirked in the vision of a huge cowboy he just met and everything that followed. 

“No, no, NO! Stop it, Magnus, this is not happening! You can’t fall for him.”

He stood up again and grabbed the whole bottle, decided not to bother with a glass. The kitty went to curiously check what was he holding, and after smelled it, he snorted contemptuously. Magnus didn’t mind and took a big gulp directly from the bottle. To his disappointment, it was almost empty, so he finished the rest with a last big gulp and went for another one. Magnus knew that it wasn’t the healthiest way how to deal with his mess, but it was the only way that made sense for him right at that moment. He ended up completely drunk, sleeping on his couch with disturbing dreams about Alexander.

...

Magnus woke up in an uncomfortable position on his couch. He was sore, and his head was hurting like hell. It was the middle of the night, and Magnus needed to think a bit about finding out where he was and what happened. He got up and went straight into the shower, let the hot water warm his body while leaning his head against the wall. “Yeah, look at you, Magnus,” he thought, “You are doing so great! You wanted to build your life again, and you what? You are working your way as a professional alcoholic, and you have absolutely no purpose! If you wanted to be like that, you could have stayed in New York. Maybe you should have stayed with Camille after all. You thought this would help, but no... Look at you!. You can’t be like that! This is not happening.”

He eventually went back from the shower, not bothering with putting some clothes on and falling on the bed, covering his head with the pillow. He had a hard time falling asleep, so he tried to recall what exactly just happened.

_ ... _

_ It was the “Magical hour” - just before sunset. Golden light covered landscape, created art more beautiful than any painter can ever paint. Magnus felt like he was in a dream. ´The most beautiful view is from the back of a horse’ they say, and all that Magnus could think about was that they are right. It has nothing to do with the shape of cowboy all in black right next to him, of course. _

_ Alexander (such an excellent name for such a beautiful person) had told him that if he was goint to sell him a horse, he needed to be sure that Magnus could ride him. It had been a while since Magnus rode a horse, almost a lifetime ago, but his muscle memory hadn’t betrayed him - it never has, and he passed the little test. They started slowly, walking around the ranch. When Alexander saw that Magnus was confident in the saddle, he urged the horse into a trot and then into a gallop. Hooves of their horse’s crushed stems of grass and left trails behind them and the wind whispered in their ears while they were running throw the field. It was one of those moments of life in which everything was so perfect that he could stay in it forever. One of those moments he will remember with his heart and soul, and memory of it will follow him till the rest of his life. The memory of pure happiness, of freedom. The memory of the moment he felt, after a very, very long time, alive. _

_ They continued riding for about an hour when Alexander stopped and got off his horse. They were on the shore of the lake, which was surrounded by trees and bushes. Alexander found the well-hidden path through the spinney and motioned Magnus to follow him. When they’ve reached the edge of the lake, both men took off the horse’s bridles and released their saddles a bit, to let the horses take a rest and drink some water. _

_ “Don’t worry. They won’t escape. Shaun is well trained and alfa of the herd. He goes where I go, and I’m not going anywhere, so... They will be fine.” He assured Magnus when he saw his hesitation to leave his horse without any harness. _

_ “You seriously gave name Shaun to that horse?” Magnus tried not to laugh. That name was so inappropriate for an as beautiful and noble horse. “Yeah. You know, I was about 12 years old when he was born. At that time, my little brother was obsessed with cartoon Shaun the Sheep. So I thought that was a brilliant idea to name a foal that was just born after his favorite cartoon character. Spoiler Alert - it was not as brilliant as I thought, considering what the horse is like today. But who could know that, right?” _

_ “So. Shaun the Sheep. You don’t seem like a cartoon person.” Magnus smirked at Alexander. _

_ “Well, I’m not. But my brother was... And I like my brother so I must deal with the stupid decision I have made by giving this name to my best horse. But... I’m used to his name, when I hear name Shaun, I don’t recall the stupid sheep, but my black beauty.” _

_ “Shaun is not stupid! He is pretty clever and caring! And the leading character of the show!” Magnus defended. “On the second thought, I think that the name suits him. Names are an important part of our lives, you know. They define who we are.” _

_ “Really? I have never really thought about it.” Alec thoughtfully answered, “But maybe you are right. What is the meaning of your name? It is also pretty odd.” _

_ “Magnus?” Magnus laughed. “No, no... Magnus is not odd. It is quite common. But, yeah, it has its meaning. To be honest, I’ve chosen it.” He admitted. _

_ “Choose it? Like nickname? It is not your real name?” Alec seemed curious. _

_ “No, not like that. It is my real name.” Magnus thought, considering his next words. “I’ve just changed it. I wanted to have a name that defines me. Name, what tell people who I’m. So, I’ve chosen this one.” _

_ “And what is the meaning of your name then?” Alexander asked. _

_ “I don’t know if I know you enough to tell you, Alexander,” Magnus replied gently with a playful smile. “I’m not revealing the mysterious secrets of my name that easy to just anybody.” _

_ “I didn’t mean to upset you.” Alexander looked for the first time directly into Magnus’s eyes. Not that he was avoiding that look, he just hasn’t the opportunity to do it before. Magnus had beautiful eyes, soft and kind, but there was so much sadness hidden inside. “I just... It doesn’t often happen to meet strangers here.” And after a slight hesitation, he added, “Furthermore, so impressive ones.” _

_ Silence followed. It was not uncomfortable silence; it was just quiet. Both men immersed deeply in their own thoughts. They were sitting on the ground, watching sunset and horses grazing in the grass. None of them wanted to be the one who breaks that moment, but eventually, Alec was the one who got up. He went close to the tree and slowly started to take his clothes off. _

_ “Who-whoa,” Magnus stammered. “What the hell are you doing? We don’t know each other for more than two hours.” He added with a smirk on his face. “Isn’t it quite soon for things like this? We should at least go for a date first!” _

_ “What? NO!” Alec looked confused while he handed his hat on the tree. “Nothing like that! I just wanted to swim in the lake, oh my god! I’m used to swimming here, every time I go to this place, I haven’t realized... What have you been thinking?” _

_ “Oh,” Magnus replied humbled. “I just thought... Never mind.” _

_ “What?” Alec asked curiously. “You thought that I was going to hump you?” _

_ “No! Yes... I don’t know... can we just... _ ** _ n _ ** _ ot talk about it?” Magnus turned around and closed his eyes. _

_ “Okay. I’m going to swim. You can join me if you want.” Alec smirked, walking entirely naked for the river. “I don’t bite, you know?” _

_ Magnus wanted to say something, so he turned back just to see a glimpse of cowboy’s glorious body, right before it disappeared underwater. He felt like something inside him unlocked – something he even forgets he ever had. Was it desire? Was it curiosity? _

_ He was looking at the man, swimming in the lake as if it was the first naked man he ever saw and made his mind. He slowly took his clothes off, shivered under cold air, and followed him. _

_ Water was cold, but it was warmer than the air, so it was quite comfortable. It took him a few moments to get used to, but he eventually made it into deeper water and started to swim. Alec observed him from his place with a broad smile and encouraged Magnus to follow him. They’ve reached a small island in the middle of the lake and climbed to the shore. The view from there was even more beautiful than the picture from the other side. The lake had surrounded them, there was nothing than the sound of the whispering wind and their breaths. _

_ “You are really not concerned about the horses?” Magnus asked Alexander when Shaun raised his head and croaked. From afar, some horses echoed him. _

_ “No, I told you. He goes where I go.” Alexander told in a quiet voice. “We are friends. He would never leave me. We’ve grown up together. I was the first one who ever ridden him. I’ve trained him, and we know each other by the soul. There is a strong bond between the two of us.” _

_ “I’ve never met anyone like you, Alexander,” Magnus replied. “I always thought that cowboys have their horses as work tools. As something they need for their work, but never consider them as their friends.” _

_ “For most of us, they are just tools, yes. But for a few of us, they are...” Alexander gazed into the distance, trying to find the right words. “When I look into their eyes, it is like I can see their souls. They are beautiful, proud, and wild animals. I can’t but treat them with respect because it is what they deserve. And when I do that, they respect me too. They don’t obey me because of fear, but because of respect. It is much easier to work with them when we have a relationship based on respect and not on fear. And much more enjoyable, I must add. So yes, they are my friends. My mates and co-workers.” _

_ Magnus observed Alexander in shock. His little speech has helped him realize more than he thought. Treat anybody with respect, not with fear. He was talking about horses, but for Magnus, it was like he was talking about his whole relationship with Camille. It was like he finally added the last piece of the puzzle and be able to see the entire picture. It helped him open his eyes and realized what has been wrong in that comedy they’ve called a relationship. It wasn’t his fault. He was treating her with nothing that respect. But with Camille... Fear was her only tool. He opened his mouth, closed it, and opened again. He wanted to say something, but he wasn’t able to find the words. Something cracked inside him, and he finally lost pink glasses he was looking at their relationship with. _

_ It all wasn’t his fault. It was all hers. _

_ “Hey,” Alexander broke his thoughts, “Are you okay?” He asked and put his hand on Magnus’s shoulder. It was the first time he touched Magnus, and Magnus felt a wave of a shiver from that touch. Alexander, for sure, though it too, because he turned his head to Magnus and with a question in his eyes, still holding Magnus’s shoulder. _

_ “Yeah, I’m all right, sorry,” Magnus answered and pressed Alexander’s hand with his chin. “You just helped me realize something, I was looking for a really long time.” _

_ “In a good way or a bad one?” Alexander smiled and gently stroked Magnus’s cheek. _

_ “In the best way possible.” Magnus wide-smiled back. _

_ Magnus didn’t know who kissed whom first - all he knew is that in one moment they were sitting side by side, having a serious discussion and in the next moment, they were kissing. It was something utterly wild and silly, kissing a man he just met, both completely naked on the island in the middle of the lake, but it felt right. He felt like it was meant to be, it was something he needed. Their kiss was fierce but gentle, it was not fighting like kisses he was used to, it was more like a dialogue. Alexander’s hand slowly started to trace his way down to Magnus’s hips, but his every move was slowly, with the question. Giving Magnus space to refuse to stop. He wasn’t pushing, he was just offering. And Magnus was more than happy to accept. He pressed Alexander’s body closer to him, started with hand in his hair, but slowly trailing hands down to his back. They’ve reached the point both known, there is no way back, but they didn’t care. _

_ “As much as I want this,” Magnus lingered his mouth from Alexander’s and kissed him on the collarbone, “We shouldn’t do this without...” _

_ “Oh, damn...” Alexander realized what Magnus has in mind and stopped. “I didn’t think that it will turn out this way so...” _

_ “Yeah, it was quite unexpected.” Magnus nodded. _

_ “I have some at my saddle-bag, I think,” Alexander offered. “If you want to do it, of course.” _

_ It was something Magnus realized before. Alexander never pushed. With the kiss, with his touches... He always offered him a choice, gave him space to move back. It was something Magnus wasn’t used to, and it made all of that even rarer. _

_ “I do, yes... Oh my God, I want to do it so much, but you don’t have to...” Magnus replied, but Alexander stopped him with another kiss. _

_ “I’ll be right back,” He promised. “Don’t go anywhere.” And with that, he leaped to the water. _

_ It was a good thing that Alexander had to leave. It gave Magnus time to catch his breath and think a little - with blood back in the brain - what he was about to do. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to - he wanted, but he knew that doing it without thinking would lead to regrets. And he didn’t want to regret it. Alexander was exceptional. He was like lightning from a clear sky, and if Magnus should finally make a thick line behind his relationship with Camille, it was just the right thing to do it with him. When Alexander was back a few minutes later, Magnus knew with all his heart, that he was ready. _

...

_ That sex was spectacular. Magnus knew that Alexander would be great, but he was high above his expectations. He was gentle and hard at the same time. The cowboy didn’t push but gave Magnus precisely what he needed and when he needed it. When Magnus desired for touch, he almost invariably gave it to him, when he wanted to be kissed, he kissed him. Their bodies moved in a perfect symphony like they were meant to be together. Like if somebody designed them to fit. They came together, Magnus kneeling, and Alexander held him with one hand from behind, second on his groin, while gently biting his neck. When he was finally able to catch his breath, he leaned back against Alexander’s chest, feeling their racing heartbeats. _

_ “Wow, that was...” He whispered. _

_ “Yeah, I know,” Alexander replied and gave him last kiss. _

_ ... _

_ On their way back, they didn’t talk much. They’ve dressed up and returned bridles to the horses. Alexander helped Magnus back into the saddle with a smirk when he saw Magnus’s little discomfort when he tried to find the right position in the saddle. Their way back wasn’t long, but they went back just with a walk, so it took a little while. When they’ve reached Alexander’s ranch, it was already dark. _

_ “Do you need help with them?” Magnus asked when they got off the horses. _

_ “No, it is okay. I will take care of the horses. You can go home, it is too late.” Alexander took reins from Magnus’s hand. _

_ “I should thank you...” Magnus hesitated, “For, you know... Everything” _

_ “Well, I think,” Alexander replied with a wink, “That the pleasure was...both-sided.” _

_ “Yeah...not like that.” Magnus blushed a little. “I mean yes, exactly like that, but not like that.” _

_ “Hmm?” Alexander looked at him with a question in his eyes. _

_ “Do you know what the Magnus effect is?” Magnus asked. _

_ “I’ve heard that, but no, I exactly don’t know what it means,” Alexander replied. _

_ “It is a natural phenomenon. You expect anything to move in some way, but it suddenly changes the trajectory.” Magnus started, finding the right words. “Well, it is not an exact explanation, there are some physical laws for that, but in general... That’s me. I never do what people expect. I never follow a specified path... And yes, sometimes, my moves could be wrong, but on some occasions, they are not. And for once, even it could seem like this was wrong, I don’t feel like I did something bad. It was right, and I needed that. It helped me to move on, and I’m grateful for that. So, thank you.” _

_ “So you’ve changed your name because you wanted to show everybody that you make unexpected irrational decisions? Or you choose your name and then realized that you can keep making weird moves and pardoned them with explanation, that ‘it is my name, what makes them?” _

_ Magnus stared at Alexander with an open mouth. His words were like a slap. “No, it wasn’t anything like that. I don’t think I’m irrational. I just like to think that I’m wild and unpredictable. That’s why I’ve chosen that name. And...” Magnus hesitated, “And I like to think that I can change people’s lives. I used to, at least, before...I was with... Her. It was the reason I’ve chosen that name in the first place -to bring change. I think... Oh, my God... I think that I’ve totally forgotten about it.” _

_ “Her?” Alexander chooses just one little thing for the whole confession. _

_ “Yes, her... Camille. My ex-” _

_ “Woman? You’ve dated woman?” Surprise in Alexander’s tone was unmistakable. _

_ “Yeah, woman. More than one, actually.” Magnus nodded. “But I am talking about the one and only, Camille Belcourt.” _

_ “Sorry, I just... after what we just did, I didn’t expect that you would...” Alexander stammered. _

_ “Oh,” Magnus finally understood, “Yeah, I dated women. I dated men as well in the past. You can say... I can enjoy the best of both worlds.” _

_ “You really choose your name well,” Alexander smiled, “Mr. Magnus effect.” _

_ “Yeah, you can say that. Well...” Magnus turned and patted his horse on the neck, “It was nice meeting you, Alexander. Thank you again... And goodnight, I think.” He smiled before he finally left. _

_ ... _

Alec quickly took care of both horses but didn’t go straight back into his house. As every evening, he walked around the ranch to make sure that everything is all right. That every door and gate are closed, that there is no fuss in herds. He went to the day-workers’ cottage and said a few words with his employees. He checked all night-lights, and right before he was finally ready to go home, he stopped for the last time to see Shaun and wish him goodnight. It was his daily routine, and he never would be able to sleep if he wasn’t sure that his ranch is all safe.

It was late when he reached his house. When he came inside, he remembered his unfinished meal and realized that he hasn’t eaten the whole day. He sighed and went to the kitchen, hoping that he’ll find something to eat there. He found bread, and he didn’t bother with the dining culture, grabbing some ham directly from the fridge. He was tired, and his body was desperately calling for some food and rest.

“So, how did it go?” He didn’t realize his sister entered to room and watched him, leaning against the door.

“Hm? What?”

“It was the new owner of Arthur’s ranch, who wanted to buy a horse. Is it right?” She explained. “I’m asking how it went? You were with him for more than four hours, it is quite long for deals like that. And I’m curious, we all are, about him.”

“Izzy, I’m tired. It is necessary to have this conversation right now?” Alec sighed. 

“It is not.” his sister replied with a spark in her eyes, “But you know how much I like to gossip. And strange man, coming from nowhere, is one of the most interested gossip people talk about in the hole this town is. So, give me something!”

“Okay. What do you want to know?” Alec asked while searching in the kitchen cabinet.

“What you were talking about? Did he tell you something?” Izzy opened one cupboard and pulled a tea box from it. “I guess you are looking for this?” She pushed away Alec’s hand, reaching for the box. “Sit down and talk. I can manage to make some tea for you.”

Alec hesitated but finally pulled a chair and, with heavy sight, set down and closed his eyes.

“You know, we didn’t do much talking.” 

“No?” Izzy poured water into the pot, “And what you were doing? Just riding horses for that long?”

“Actually, no,” Alec answered while rubbing his eyes. “We were swimming. We went to that small island in the middle of the lake in the valley behind the summer corral. It was refreshing.”

“Just like that?” Izzy put a tea bag inside the cup and set up a mug to the table next to Alec.

“We might have had sex on that isle,” Alec admitted.

“Yeah, and unicorns around you were break-dancing on a rainbow while he was fucking you,” Izzy smirked, taking a chair and sit by the table next to Alec. “C’mon big brother, be serious for a moment and talk!”

“Why you think he was fucking me?” Alec protested. “And no, there were no unicorns. Just horses. And I can bet that they didn’t see anything because they were more interested in fresh grass by the lake than anything could happen around. You wanted to gossip, so, here you go. But I assure you that I will kill you if you tell that anybody.”

Izzy rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I get it. Huuuuge secret... C’mon brother and tell me... How is he? Do you know why he is here? Did he told you anything?”

“Not really, honestly,” Alec sighed. It was evident that his sister didn’t want to believe him, but he needed to tell her something; otherwise, she won’t leave him alone. Izzy can be stubborn like a baby who wants long-delayed candy, and Alec has not much energy left to deal with his crazy sister. Musing about what he can share about his new neighbor, he tried to memorize some details. Magnus told him something about himself, but most of what Alec knows about this man was reading between the lines. “He is rich, I can say. He really doesn’t care about money, but not in the squander way. It is more like he... Doesn’t want to bother with it. From the way he behaves, I think he is some kind of... Crisis manager?” Alec remembered when Magnus told him about helping people change the direction of their lives. “I think that he... burned out. And he came here to catch a second breath. He came here to think about his life and maybe the way he can change it?” Alec wasn’t sure if it was really true. Still, it was a perfect explanation without disclosure what was really behind all of them.

“He told you all of that?”

“No, I told you that we didn’t talk too much. This is just my guess. If you are so eager to know more about Magnus, you can ask him directly, you know?”

“Calm down, big brother. Drink your tea.” Izzy smiled at him. “I think that this is enough for now. Have a good night.” And with that, she left.

Alec raised his cup and grinned angrily. “You forgot to pour water! It is just an empty cup with tea-bag inside!” He yelled at the direction she left, but there was nobody there.

…

Magnus woke up the next morning in much better condition than he had been in the middle of the last night. He checked a clock and found out that it was almost 10 am. He wasn’t used to sleeping over so much, but it was probably because of the significant mental break-down he has had the day before. What seemed to be part of his healing process now looked like adding another nail to the coffin. But there was no regret. It was something he really needed at that moment, but now, he had to focus on another task. He had to find some purpose in his life, to stay busy. Staying at the opposite side of the country, far from his past, doesn’t make any sense if he would be sinking in memories and living in agony of his former life. 

“Yes,” Magnus told the kitty that was waking up next to him, “It is exactly what I need right now. I need to find a job! Maybe not the real one, maybe just a hobby... But I need something to do, something to create!”

And with that thought, he got up, and he set off for a new day.


	3. The gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When he reached the main building, he saw a familiar silhouette walking around his house. Magnus’s heart skipped a beat.
> 
> Alexander Lightwood. The last person he would like to find on his doorstep.
> 
> The first thought Magnus had was to hide. To run away and never admit to Alexander, that he knew he was there. With his stained clothes and messy hair, drenched with sweat, Magnus was absolutely not ready to face that glorious man. But Alexander was faster, he had spotted Magnus and waved at him. Magnus hesitated for a moment, but then waved Alexander back and ambled the remaining distance between two of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there. The next chapter is up. I already have written the fourth, so I expect to post it quite soon.
> 
> Really hope that you like it.
> 
> I would really like to send some love to my dear Myramerida - without you, there won´t be any chapter three. Thank you.

Magnus’s hands were covered with paint and ached from this rather unusual activity. It was part of his healing process, of course, but he couldn’t recall ever holding a brush in his hands. It had been just this morning when he had decided to begin by painting the outer walls of his small barn.

He tried to start inside the barn by cleaning the workshop, but he could not force himself to work in the dark when it was such a beautiful day.

The fresh air smelled of herbs, water, and soil with a light scent of horses. 

The sun was kindly warming the countryside, neither chilly nor hot, it was just perfect. 

It would be a sin to spend such a beautiful day inside, Magnus thought and decided to use his uplifting feeling to make his home more attractive.

He worked for a few hours when he heard the sound of engines on his driveway. Magnus hadn´t realized how much he was enjoining the quiet farmland until it was disrupted by this rumble. It was the sharp noise of a big truck, with ripe tires crushing the gravel of the road, not the light tone of the engine of Marta’s car. 

Magnus wasn´t expecting anybody and wasn’t really in the socializing mood, but his curiosity won. He set aside the can of paint and took a few steps back to observe his work. It was quite comforting to see the results of his effort. The barn would still need at least one more layer of the paint, but it already looked much better than before.

After rinsing his hands in a barrel with rainwater, wearing his work clothes, stained by paint, Magnus didn’t even try to make his look any more representatively, just smoothed his hair with wet hands, and slowly proceeded to the cottage to meet his visitor.

When he reached the main building, he saw a familiar silhouette walking around his house. Magnus’s heart skipped a beat.

Alexander Lightwood. The last person he would like to find on his doorstep.

The first thought Magnus had was to hide. To run away and never admit to Alexander, that he knew he was there. With his stained clothes and messy hair, drenched with sweat, Magnus was absolutely not ready to face that glorious man. But Alexander was faster, he had spotted Magnus and waved at him. Magnus hesitated for a moment, but then waved Alexander back and ambled the remaining distance between two of them.

“Hi neighbor, I wasn’t really expecting you.” Magnus stretched his hand toward the other man, but stopped and hid it behind his back. It was an indecent gesture, but the idea of touching Alexander, even as innocent, as a handshake is, was something Magnus wasn’t ready for. 

“Really?” Alexander hadn’t seemed to realize Magnus’ hesitation and offered his hand.

“I thought you wanted to buy a horse from me!”

Magnus groaned inside, pierced Alexander’s hand with his gaze, but carefully accepted the offered hand in a firm handshake. Alexander held him just a little bit longer than was necessary, looking straight into his eyes with a playful smile. They both felt familiar shivering flowing from that touch. It was like a heat, connecting them, wanting more than just formal touch. Magnus saw that Alexander gasped a little and quickly moved his hand back.

“Yeah, I want. I just didn’t know you are a peddler.” 

“No, I’m not,” Alexander smirked. “But I don’t like to leave the business unfinished, so...” He motioned to the house where Magnus saw a glimpse of the car.

Magnus made a few steps to be able to see what Alexander was pointing at. 

“Wait! You’ve brought the horse with you?” Magnus raised his voice when he saw that Alexander’s jeep had a trailer attached. Then with much less confidence stammered. “I can’t... I don’t have...” 

“Yeah, I’ve brought you your horse. I thought you’ll be happy. “Alexander followed Magnus, who was approaching the trailer. 

“Actually, I’m, but... I don’t have anything ready! I even don’t have any hay. I don’t know if the saddle I have will fit him... You can’t just come here and leave me alone with the horse! I’m not prepared.”

“I’m not leaving you alone. So, calm down. Let’s bring them out, and I’ll help you to deal with them.”

“THEM? How many horses are there??” Magnus panicked.

“Just two. Come on, I’ll show you.” Alexander reached the trailer and opened the gate. He disappeared inside for a bit, but after a moment, he got out with ropes in both hands. 

The first horse was the one Magnus had ridden the day before. It was a steady chestnut gelding with a short mane and lax look. Magnus already liked that horse and had hoped that Alexander would be willing to sell him. Magnus came closer and greeted him by stroking his neck. Alexander handed the gelding’s rope to Magnus, who did a few steps with the horse. The gelding followed him, but when they stopped, and he found out that he wouldn´t get anything else from his new owner, he lowered his head, and without hesitation, hungrily started to eat the grass.

“His name is Sion.” Alexander introduced the gelding. “He is a good, well-trained horse and will serve you well. He is simple, and if you treat him well, he will never betray you. He likes food a lot, so bring an apple with you every time you will ride him, and you’ll have the best horse in the world.” 

“This one,” Alexander continued, raising his hand with the rope, “is a bit tricky.”

“What do you mean, tricky?” Magnus observed the second horse with curiosity. It was a beautiful and proud light-brown mare with a long blond mane, so different from the other horse. Where Sion was calm and almost lazy, watching his surroundings without a bit of interest, the mare was watching Magnus with anger. Her head with wide eyes and extended nostrils was raised, and her moves were tiny and curt with clenched muscles. She seemed as if she was going to explode in any second. 

“Lower your head, eyes on the ground come here, and I will show you,” Alexander directed, “move quietly, no rush.”

Magnus cynically showed the rope in his hand to Alexander. He was still holding Sion and had no interest in going somewhere near that fierce horse.

“You can put that rope on the ground if you need your hands free.” Alexander suggested, “as long as he has grass, Sion won’t be interested in anything else. Trust me, come here slowly, and everything will be fine.”

Magnus sighed but did what Alexander wanted. The mare was observing him without movement as Magnus came closer and gave a questioning look to Alexander. 

“Don’t look directly at her.” The cowboy pointed to the mare’s neck and motioned to Magnus to come even closer. “If you want to, do it like you want to look through her, just her direction, not exactly at her... Yes, that’s right!” He appreciated Magnus’s effort.

Magnus was standing as close to the mare as he could without touching her. She still didn’t move. 

“Slowly raise your hand and approach it close to her neck, but don’t touch. Let her understand what you want to do, but give her space to refuse.”

Magnus did what was asked. The mare still didn’t move.

“OK, now you can touch her.” Alexander decided after a moment. “But gently.”

Magnus’s hand was moving slowly, reached for soft mare’s fur. He lightly caressed her skin with careful moves. She was still observing him with wide eyes, but her muscles relaxed a little. 

“Hello, beautiful,” he whispered with a melody voice. “I’m Magnus. You don’t have to be afraid, you know? I don’t bite and hope that you neither.”

The mare didn’t answer, but her nose reached Magnus’s shoulder, and she sniffed. 

“She likes you, you see,” Alexander winked to Magnus. “There are not many people whom she allows to touch her.”

It that second Chairman went from the building and ran to greet Magnus. When he saw the horses, he hesitated for a moment but quickly started to retread with a bristly fur. Magnus turned around, and when he saw his hissing kitty, he lovered his hand and went to calm his pet. The mare was back into nervous herself, stepped over, and reached her head even higher than before, nervously observing the kitty.

Magnus tried to catch Chairman, but he escaped and hid under Alexander’s car. It took Magnus a few attempts and a generous amount of a ham, but he eventually managed to catch the kitty and calmed him down in his armful. 

Alexander watched Magnus the whole time he was calming his kitty, not saying a word.

“This was a terrible idea.” Magnus shook his head. “I can’t have horses here since I already have one animal living there. I should have thought about it before, I’m sorry.”

“Why not?” Alexander asked. “Cats and horses are used to living together. That little one was just surprised, that’s all. He will handle it, you will see.”

“Maybe with the calm one,” Magnus replied and looked at Sion, “but you’ve brought the crazy lady with you, and she scares him. Why is she even here?”

“Can we sit down?” Alexander suggested. “I recall there is small corral down there. Let’s take the horses there for a moment, so we can talk in peace. I promise,” he added when he saw Magnus’s hesitation, “that if you don’t agree, I’ll take them away, or, at least, the ‘crazy lady.’ But I need to explain it to you.”

Magnus nodded, still not entirely convinced, but he took Chairman into the house. When he returned, he was nervously holding two big carrots. “Sorry, I don’t have apples, but I think they will like this too” He showed them to Alexander.

Alexander smiled and nodded. Magnus went to Sion and gave him the first carrot before he took his rope. Sion ate hungrily and immediately reached for Magnus’s other hand, searching for more. 

“You are really greedy, aren’t you,” he commented happily and stroked his nose. Sion poked into his elbow, gaze fixated on the remaining carrot. 

“No, my friend, I’m sorry. This one is for the lady,” Magnus gently pushed away from the horses´ nose and looked at the other horse.

“You can give it to her, don’t worry.” Alexander gestured to the mare. “Just go slowly. Show it to her first and let her make a move.”

Magnus did what Alexander told him, offering the carrot to the mare from a distance. She took two steps forward and sniffed his hand before she gently took it. 

“You see,” Alexander explained. “She is nice. You just need to be patient with her. Come here with Sion, let them look around.”

Magnus followed Alexander, who led dancing mare, with Sion’s rope in his hand. They’ve reached small corral down the road and entered through the open gate. Alexander took the leash from Magnus and asked him to check the walls and close the entry, to ensure it was safe to release the horses there. Magnus traced the barrier and didn’t find anything wrong, so they unclipped the ropes from the horses' halters and set them free. Sion immediately buried his nose into some grown grass, and the mare started to trot around. 

They observed them for a moment, but when it was evident that they were safe, Alexander, without a word, left the corral and gestured at Magnus to follow him. Magnus hesitated for a bit, but when he saw his companion’s confidence, he followed him back to the cottage.

“Do you have something to drink?” Alexander asked when they reached the house and sat on the terrace.

“Yeah, I think so.” 

Magnus disappeared inside his house and headed straight to the kitchen. He searched in the cabinet and fridge, desperately trying to get anything suitable. All Magnus could find were empty wine bottles. He looked around, hoping, that there must be something he could serve to his guest, but his whole house was dry as a bone. Finally, an idea crossed his mind, and he reached for milk and ice cubes and made a jug full of iced coffee. 

“This must do,” he said to himself doubtfully while putting it all together with some glasses onto a tray. 

On his way back, he saw his reflection in the mirror and was horrified. He was a mess. Dirty hair was falling into his forehead, which was still stained with paint, and he was wearing old work clothes two sizes bigger than he required. 

He really needed a shower, but there was no way he could manage it, so he went back to the kitchen a tried to fix the biggest disaster in the sink. He washed his face, stroked his hair with fingers, and changed his shirt into a new one. He rechecked his appearance while applying some deodorant, and when he found out, there was nothing more he could do right then, he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.

When he came back, holding the tray, Alexander was sitting on the terrace with a dreamy smile drowned in thoughts.

“I didn’t really know what you like, so I thought...” Magnus interrupted him.

“Iced coffee! That’s delightful!” Alexander exclaimed, grinning. 

“Thank you, that’s great, really.”

“Fine.” Magnus sat on the next chair and poured some coffee into both glasses.

They sat in silence for a while. Alexander still in his thoughts, Magnus nervously holding his beverage, desperately trying to find out how to start a dialogue. Alexanders’ unexpected presence on the ranch took away all his self-confidence, that Magnus had earned that morning. He couldn’t look at Alexander without thinking about their last time together. With every look at the cowboy, Magnus immediately felt phantom of their touches, and his body was desperately crying for more. Of course, he couldn’t talk about  _ that,  _ so he was trying to find something else to talk about... Anything... But everything that crosses his mind, every topic he was trying to find, was... bland, austere... uninteresting. Usually, Magnus was a man of words. He could do real magic with them, he was a natural storyteller, Magnus was able to find some exciting topic even with the most annoying people, but now he was speechless.

“Sorry.” It was Alexander who eventually started. 

“I have too many memories about this place. “

“Really? You know this place?” Magnus asked happily with Alexander’s theme.

“Yeah, you have no idea!” Alexander answered with enthusiasm in his voice.

“I was curious... It comes to my mind ever and again... Who lived at this place? And why they abandoned it? They left so much stuff here, so many things... Almost everywhere I go, I find something new! Not many personal belongings, but... It is strange to leave home with everything behind. Sometimes, I feel as I´m visiting this place as a guest, not actually living here and all this stuff... It makes me think about the people who lived here before.”

“Hmmm, “Alexander looked at Magnus, wondering, “you have thought a lot about what happened there, right? But I think that you’ll probably be disappointed a little. There is no big drama or big plot twist, but yes, I’ve known this family, and I know why they left.”

“Would you tell me?” Magnus asked quietly. 

It was right, he was musing, maybe a little bit too much about what happened there. Besides the equipment of house and barn, he found, from time to time, some small pieces of the story of previous owners during his exploring. Apart from personal clothes… Letters engraved in the wooden bench, old, faded photographs on the shelf in the living room, and some toys in the attic, the whole house was devoid of any kind of personal stuff, but sometimes, small things had been missed whoever had cleaned this place and had been left here. For Magnus to wonder... to imagine…

But now, he was facing the possibility to find out about this place. He wasn’t sure if it’s a good idea to discover this secret, but Magnus was so curious that he was not able to resist asking.

“Yeah, of course,” Alexander answered with a dreamy smile. He sat back and crossed his leg over the knee, finding a comfortable position. He took the glass with coffee, playing with ornaments engraved into sides of it, sorting his thoughts, but eventually, he slowly started to talk:

“Since I know, in this house, always lived a huge family. Their name was Blackthrones.” He pointed to the big letter “B,” hanged above the terrace. 

Magnus never really realized it is there – it was decrepitated, dark, and part of the wall, but when he found out it was there, he wasn’t able to stop seeing it.

“The first Blackthrones I’ knew were the two brothers, Andrew and Arthur, around the age of my parents.” Alexander continued. 

“I don’t know anything about their ancestors, honestly, they never really talked about it, but I´ve known that this place was always Blackthrones.” 

Alexander stopped for a little, trying to organize his thoughts.

“So, as it happens, both brothers fell in love with some mystery woman. That was…Thirty? Years ago, I think,” Alexander frowned with an effort to recall old memories. “It was before I was just born when this happened, so all I know is from the stories and gossips.”

“Anyway… Somehow happened that the love of their love was pregnant with two kids. Nobody knows who was their father and also, what happened to their mother is a kind of mystery for everybody. All we know is that one day, desperate Andrew was found with two babies in the town, trying to find anybody to help him. He eventually did. There was a young, sweet girl called Eleanor. At first, she just helped him with the babies, but after a few months, they’ve fallen in love and eventually got married. Arthur was still living there, but he was kind of a weirdo. Since ‘that thing’ with his brother happened, he was keeping himself away, locked in his room, surrounded by books. He loved his cousins, he used to play with them, read for them, taught them to horse-ride and to work on the farm, but I never saw him change a word with his brother and his wife.”

“So a few years passed and they had children on their own. Together, they raised seven kids. First twins, and five more. The oldest three – Julian, Mark, and Helen – were my friends. Together with my two siblings, we were a big team. We were playing games together, riding horses, working on each other´s farms… Later, we went to parties in the town… We spent a lot of time together, sometimes with our youngest brother and the rest of their siblings… We made games for them, we babysat them. Yeah, those were great times.” Alexander had a broad smile while reveling in those childhood memories. 

“Later after high school, we had to decide what to do with our lives. Mark and Helen went to military school, which was a shocking decision, but they have always been quite into weapons and fight, so we probably should have been seen that coming. I’d decided to stay and work at our farm with my parents, so our paths would have to be separated. They are still in the army, usually working on secret missions, but I heard from them from time to time. After all, we are still friends.” Alexander searched for his phone, trying to find some photos. He was smiling into the screen when he saw a picture of the blond-haired couple and handed the phone to Magnus.

“Our gang was two members shorter since then, but we were still having much fun together. But two years after that, when Julian finished high school, their parents decided to move into Los Angeles. They had some family property there, as far as I know, and wanted to move into a city with good schools because after Helen and Mark left, they were afraid that Julian would leave them too. He really didn’t want to! Oh, how Julian fought with his family... But when they went to LA for a visit, just see, if it could work, he met a girl there. They immediately fell in love, as if they were made for each other and well... He was willing to move then.”

Magnus made a fast calculation, but it didn’t fit. “That still had to be more than ten years ago,” he opposed. “This house was abandoned the whole time?”

“No, not really,” Alexander explained. “Arthur stayed here, refusing to leave the family ranch. He stayed for the next 7 years. Mostly, he was alone, but once a while, some kids of the family visited him. Ty even lived with him for two years! He probably lived here until now, but there was an accident. Eleanor and Andrew died, and immediately after that, Arthur put ranch into the market and moved to the LA. His family needed him, so... He was there for them.”

Alexander finished his coffee and placed the empty glass on the table. 

“Well... I think that is all. The ranch was on the market for two years, until you came and bought it.”

“Alexander!” Magnus declared after his visitor finished. “You were lying! You told me this is a boring story without any twists, but what you just told me was pretty interesting! I really didn’t know that there is such a huge history here.”

“You think so?” Alexander answered with a question in his voice. “For me, it is pretty ordinary, but maybe it is because I lived in it. There really were some great times, but...” He didn’t finish his sentence. It was hard for him, recalling all of his memories. 

“You miss them?” Magnus guessed.

“Terribly,” Alexander admitted. “But maybe, even more than them, I miss those times of freedom, my childhood. I was so carefree and happy. We were riding horses all day, we were hiking, fishing, swimming in the river... This place reminds me of all of that. Those happy memories, everything.”

Magnus caught that small smile Alexander gave him when talking about swimming, but didn’t say anything. 

“So,” Magnus asked. “That was the reason you came here as soon, You found out I live here? To recall memories and see this place again?”

“Yeah, maybe,” Alexander smirked. “And maybe, I wanted to see you again. And... You know... Totally shock you with my arrival with those horses.”

Magnus froze. The horses! He totally forgot about them, even that was the reason he wanted to talk with Alexander in the first place. 

“Since you started to talk about them...” Magnus reminded, totally avoiding the fact, the Alexander just admitted that he wanted to see him again.

“Yes?” Alexander innocently asked.

“I can’t keep them,” he declared. “There is no way I can take care of that mare. I wanted Sion, yes, but if you insist on leaving here both of them, I can’t agree.”

“Why not?”

“The mare is a mess! Bigger than I’m, actually - and that’s something to say.”

“What?” Alexander cried. “Why would you think you are a mess?”

“I think that I already told you,” Magnus stated calmly. “I’m just recovering after breaking the worst relationship you can ever imagine. I need to fix myself first. I can’t handle any other broken souls.”

“Why you think she is broken?” Alexander asked cautiously. “I never told you what happened to her.”

“It takes one broken soul to recognize another,” Magnus whispered. 

Alexander saw the sadness in Magnus’s eyes again. That sadness, that had been haunting him the whole night before and even the day after. That sadness, that had urged him to finish his work earlier today with the need to do something, to help Magnus overcome it and bring some sparks into his eyes again. That sparks he saw the other evening, sparks he was able to wake up. Alexander wasn’t ready to give up. He just needed to help him, and he was sure that his way, strange as it could seem, was the right way. 

“Do you know anything about wild horses, Magnus? About Mustangs?” He eventually asked.

“Maybe a little, yes,” Magnus admitted, totally confused.

“Wild horses living in America nowadays are the offsprings of Spanish horses,” Alexander explained. “There were huge herds of them, thousands of wild horses, which people hunted for meat until they almost slaughtered them all. Eventually, they stopped, but still, their numbers are reduced. Some wild horses are captured, trained, and after that, offered for adoption.”

Magnus knew this part of history marginally, but he let Alexander talk.

“You know, that training is usually anything but gentle, and when they find some horse unfit for that, they kill them.”

That was something Magnus didn’t know...

“As you’ve probably guessed, that beautiful and proud animal is one of the wild horses. They caught her with a big herd of mustangs. They tried to train that mare, to break her... but she was strong and resisted. She injured a few of those Mustangers, and they’ve almost stuffed her into cans. But, with luck, they discovered that she is a special one. She has almost pure Spanish blood. It is sporadic these days, and this kind of horse is very prized for inbreeding. That was the moment I stepped in. Immediately after I found out about this mare, I took my car and drove directly to those Mustangers, determined to get her. I have a little thing for broken souls, you know,” he winked at Magnus, “And also, I really wanted her in my breeding herd. It wasn’t hard to convince them to sell her to me, but after that, It took me a whole day to get her into the truck. Eventually, I somehow managed to load her inside and bring her home.”

“You are really a savior, Alexander,” Magnus breathed in astonishment.

“No, not really. My family thought that I was insane when I arrived with her. And after a few days with her, I thought that too. I tried everything, I tried my best. I’ve spent whole days with her, just walking around, working next to her corral, though, if she got used to me, I would be able to get near her. But it didn’t work. When I was about to give up, it was like she noticed that and decided to gave me a chance. I saw small changes in her behavior. She was waiting for me - not in a welcoming way, but I could see that. She was observing what I was doing. It didn’t seem like much progress from this point, but it was a huge step for her. So I persisted. And after a month and a half, I finally earned her trust. Slowly, one step after another, I started to work with her. And I was surprised! I never worked with such an exceptional animal!”

“So why you’ve brought her into my place?” Magnus asked.

“Problem is that she needs time. So much time... And I don’t have it right now. I already spent a lot with her, and I need to take care of dozens of other horses, not to talk about any further ranch affairs. I just can’t spend whole days with her. She is special, but I need to take care of more than just her. So...” He hesitated, gaze fixed into his hands. 

“Magnus, when I saw the look in your eyes, the sadness... It reminded me of her. She was lost, she was alone and desperate. So do you. I somehow thought that you two belong to each other. She needs to learn trusting people again, and you... You need to trust girls again, you know?” Alexander looked into Magnus’s eyes and smiled. “And also, you need to find trust in yourself. And I think that the best way how to start is to help somebody. You’ve already helped that kitty, and I just know that you can help my beautiful girl too.”

“Alexander, I barely know how to ride a horse!” Magnus resisted. He was listening to the whole story without a word, just thinking, how big heart this man had, but he was even not close to being ready to face this mare by himself. 

“You are a horseman, and it took you weeks to make some progress. I don’t know where to start, I can’t train her... I would destroy all the progress you’ve made. I just.. I can’t.”

“Magnus, I’ve just met you. There is not much I know about you, mostly guesses. But in my whole life, I’m used to relying on what animals tell me. And I know enough to be sure, you can handle that. It won’t be easy, we both know it, but you can do it. I saw how you talked to your kitty. I saw how you were with Sion and... You were, except for me, the first one, she let to touch her. And if I wasn’t sure before, that was the moment I realized that you are the one.”

To say that Magnus was deeply hit by those words was a colossal understatement of what he really felt. This man, this complete stranger, was giving him more trust than he’d got from anybody in years. And Magnus felt that maybe, really, maybe... He could do it.

“And if, theoretically, I’ll work with her... What after that? I can’t train her, and if I spend so much time with her, I can’t imagine giving her up!”

Alexander’s heart started to gallop in his chest. Does Magnus really consider accept his offer?

“I can train her for you, or, even better, I can teach you how to do it. You won’t be alone, I promise.” Alexander declared. “And of course, you can keep her if you want. We can reach some agreement, I can say,” he grinned and winked at Magnus.

“I would be happy to visit this place more often and, of course, spend more time with you,” he carefully added. 

“It’s not the matter of if you can do it, that’s given that you can. The real question is... ‘Do you want to?’” 

Alexander finished. There wasn’t really more to add, he was sure. The ball was in the Magnus´ field, and it all was up to him. All Alexander could do was to hope. To hope that he would accept his offer, that he would catch the helping hand Alexander was offering to him, and take the final step. So he encouraged him with an even broader smile and patiently waited. 

“I want to,” Magnus was immersed in his thoughts for a few minutes, but finally, he whispered those three words Alexander wanted to hear.

“I really want to.” He repeated with more confidence in his voice. “And if you can help me... Magnus’s effect, do you remember?” He shyly smiled at his companion.

“So, that’s a deal.” Alexander grinned and offered a hand to shake. “Let’s meet your new horses.”

They’ve reached the corral again. The Horses were peacefully pastured, almost without noticing the newcomers. They looked as if they had lived here forever, and Magnus felt a warm feeling around his heart telling him that Alexander was right. This was the best decision he could make, and Magnus was really grateful that he had allowed the cowboy to talk him into it. 

“I totally forgot!” He realized after a while. “I don’t know how to call her! Does she has a name?” He asked.

“Do you believe in destiny, Magnus?” Alexander kindly asked.

Magnus shrugged and laid against the wooden fence. 

“What destiny has to do with the horse’s name, Alexander?”

“Her name, Magnus, since the day they captured her,” Alexander breathed,

“is Camila.”


End file.
